Greetings from Amazon.com Delivers Literature and Fiction Editors, Kerry Fried, Alix Wilbur, and James Marcus After hours of ardent argumentation and horse-trading, we've come up with our favorite books of 1999. They include two stellar debuts (from Nathan Englander and Elizabeth Strout), top-drawer work from an assortment of seasoned pros (Roddy Doyle, Lisa Zeidner, Jonathan Raban, and Barbara Trapido), and the second volume of Richard Holmes's incurably Romantic life of Coleridge. Add the superlative fictions of Claire Messud, Ha Jin, and Sarah Waters, and you've truly got a list to reckon with. Season's greetings--and happy reading! 1. "A Star Called Henry" by Roddy Doyle http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0670887579/entertainmentsit In "A Star Called Henry," Roddy Doyle takes us deep into Ireland's fanatic heart. Setting his tale in the early years of this century, he creates not only an appealing, street-smart protagonist--the offspring, incidentally, of a one-legged hit man--but an entire gallery of indelible Dubliners. 2. "The Last Life" by Claire Messud http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0151004714/entertainmentsit Cutting from France to Algeria to New England, "The Last Life" explores the peculiar burdens of exile. Claire Messud's bildungsroman is also a dazzling meditation on family, and on the heart-rending fabrications of personal history. Fiction doesn't get any smarter than this, or more affecting. 3. "Coleridge: Darker Reflections" by Richard Holmes http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0679438475/entertainmentsit In "Coleridge: Darker Reflections," Richard Holmes completes his chronicle of the great poet, polemicist, and opium fiend. As he did in the splendid "Early Visions," the author manages to evoke not only Coleridge's day-to-day existence but peculiar turbulence of his imagination. This is a magisterial production from one of the most gifted literary biographers on the planet. 4. "Amy and Isabelle" by Elizabeth Strout http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0375501347/entertainmentsit As its title suggests, "Amy and Isabelle" is a tale of two women--or more specifically, a mother and daughter, who walk the familiar line between mutual adoration and abhorrence. Elizabeth Strout recounts this hot-button relationship with rare and remarkable delicacy. 5. "For the Relief of Unbearable Urges" by Nathan Englander http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0375404929/entertainmentsit In his first collection, Nathan Englander produces nine superb slices of Jewish life. His wickedly intelligent prose and world-class imagination belie his age--a tender 28. And while Englander's stories bear the occasional imprint of such predecessors as Singer and Malamud, his evocative voice is all his own. 6. "The Travelling Hornplayer" by Barbara Trapido http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0670883573/entertainmentsit For sheer astonishment and comic zing, "The Travelling Hornplayer" may be Barbara Trapido's best novel to date. This intricate tale of love and death--which employs one of Franz Schubert's song cycles as a narrative springboard--is a marvel of storytelling ingenuity. It's also our nominee for the funniest book of 1999. 7. "Tipping the Velvet" by Sarah Waters http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1573221368/entertainmentsit In "Tipping the Velvet," young Nancy Astley goes from provincial innocent to male impersonator to unhappy hooker--and beyond. A vivid portrait of Victorian England's underbelly, Sarah Waters's first novel has more than its share of sensual energy and scintillating prose. 8. "Passage to Juneau" by Jonathan Raban http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0679442626/entertainmentsit "Passage to Juneau" takes Jonathan Raban from the caffeinated precincts of Seattle to the Alaskan frontier. Navigating the chaotic Inside Passage in a 35-foot ketch, the author chronicles its history, culture, and landscape with his customary brilliance--and encounters some personal turbulence along the way. 9. "Waiting" by Ha Jin http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0375406530/entertainmentsit "Waiting" begins with an almost fairy-tale-like premise: a husband returns to his village year after year to divorce his wife, who refuses to grant him his freedom. In the end, however, Ha Jin's novel is a painfully realistic portrait of marital gridlock--and an off-the-cuff allegory of totalitarian politics. 10. "Layover" by Lisa Zeidner http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0375502866/entertainmentsit The heroine of Lisa Zeidner's "Layover" has held up through the loss of a child and a foundering marriage. But when her husband confesses to an infidelity, Claire Newbold begins a sex-and-self-discovery spree, which the author recounts in some of the wittiest and wisest prose in recent memory. ****** Announcing sothebys.amazon.com Just imagine visiting--anytime, any day--the world's foremost auction house and 4,500-plus professional dealers. We've partnered with Sotheby's to launch a new Web site that realizes all that and more. At sothebys.amazon.com all items are guaranteed and you'll receive a Property Certificate that documents the unique history of each purchase. Visit today and find a world of incredible objects starting at $100: Auction ****** You'll find more great books, articles, excerpts, and interviews in Amazon.com's Literature & Fiction section at Literature & Fiction **
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